The number of fixed-line broadband subscribers in the Asia-Pacific region will grow 17.3% to reach 182mn users by the end of this year, generating estimated revenues of US$ 44.9bn, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan. Despite mobile broadband connections growing in tandem, fixed-line broadband connections will continue to grow, according to Adeel Najam, industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan. He attributes this to the various government initiatives in rolling-out national broadband projects, such as Malaysia’s high-speed broadband (HSBB) project, Australia’s national broadband network (NBN) and Singapore’s iN2015 initiative. Najam also expects telcos in developing markets to continue deploying basic xDSL infrastructures. By next year, when most of the government-backed projects are expected to commence full-scale roll-out, broadband users in the Asia-Pacific region are expected to pass the 200mn point, and finish 2010 at 212.6mn, according to the report. The broadband subscriber base in the APAC region (covering 14 countries) will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14.1% annually between 2009 and 2014 to reach 342.9mn subscribers by the end of 2014. The region’s households broadband penetration is expected to have risen from around 18% in 2008 to 37.2% by 2014, with revenues estimated at close to US$ 69bn. Services such as Web 2.0, social networking, file sharing, online gaming – as well as falling PC prices and widespread availability of low-cost netbooks – have also given impetus towards increased broadband usage, according to the report. Looking forward, Najam downplays the threat of mobile broadband to fixed broadband services, stating that he believes both these access services need to coexist.